Intake manifold is made of burned two holes in itself due to plastic construction not able two withstand heat witch caused a cascading affect and catalytic converters also had to be replaced. This is the first time it happened. I had to replace the converters and the manifold to correct problem.
2002 Ford Explorer engine complaints
Page 5 of 8: complaints 101 to 130 of 213, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My wife's 2002 ford explorer had a whine in the rear end since it was new and it continued to get worse with time. At about 55k miles it was so bad that we had to have the entire differential rebuilt at a cost of over $1,000. At 65k miles the engine had begun to make noise and it became much louder rapidly. The entire cam drive (timing chain, sprockets, tensioners) had been ground up. The tensioner pads had 3/8" deep grooves worn into them and there were metal shavings everywhere. The bill this time was almost $1,300. It is interesting that all the parts that were replaced were a different design than the originals. If there was nothing wrong with the original design, why spend the money to change them? Of course ford would not admit that they had a problem with the timing chain for the cams. After the timing chain was fixed there was still a noise so we took it back to the shop that did the work. With a stethoscope the noise was isolated to the bellhousing/torque converter area. We took it to a transmission shop we trust and he thought it was a cracked flex plate because that happens frequently on these vehicles and it causes that kind of noise. The flex plate was fine as was the front pump on the transmission and the starter drive. The only thing left in that area was the torque converter so we replaced that. The noise was still there. He said that the noise had to be coming from the transmission and that would be a $2,000 repair. I've had it with ford and their "quality is job one" or whatever their current advertising lie is. This car is a lemon and they won't admit to a single thing being wrong with it. Every driveline component has had to be fixed and it only has 67k miles on it. Ford should be ashamed of the way they hang their customers out to dry. Even though I had to identify a particular date below, this car has had major problems since it was new in 2002.
While driving our 2002 ford explorer it stalled without any warning and would not start. Car had to be pushed off to the side and towed to dealer. The mechanic said it probably broke a valve spring which caused massive internal engine damage. The truck has only 49,000 miles on it and ford basically told us it's our problem. They refuse to contribute anything to the estimated repair of $4,800.00.
I have 2002 ford xlt explorer. 102k miles now. I had issue with throttle cable sticking back in feb 2008. Would not decelerate properly driving home in the evening, throttle stuck open. Came close to rear ending another vehicle. Traced the problem to what was that the inner liner of the throttle cable had backed out in the driver compartment apprx 2 inches and not allowing the cable to retract correctly. I removed that section of the liner. After research found that the federal safety agency action number : pe05037 matched my problem exactly. Please note here that my issue occurred after a longer period of time than what as noted in pe05037, you may have to open new investigation using longer period. I contacted ford motor customer service about this and they offered no remedy for this issue.
Engine ticking at idle.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving 25 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle continued to drive, but the noise did not stop. He pulled the vehicle over and shut off the engine because he began to smell fuel. The contact discovered that the number three spark plug on the passenger side of the engine failed. The vehicle had the original spark plugs. When he attempted to replace and rethread the spark plug, it would not grip and tighten. The vehicle was towed to a shop and the contact was informed that it was a common failure. The repair shop performed a quick repair by ford, but it did not correct the failure. Ford stated that they were aware of the failure, but there were no recalls and could not assist. The vehicle is currently at the shop and has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 86,214.
I was driving my eddie bauer ford explorer 4.6l v8 when I heard a large explosion sound coming from the engine. I immediately pulled off the road and called for help. I had my car towed to a shop where they told me the spark plug shot out of the engine and this should never happen. Apparently the coil where it threads into was manufactured incorrectly so it never sat all the way on like it should. Over time this is the result. I now need a new cylinder head costing $1800, and maybe a 2nd one down the road. That's $4,000 for ford's mistake! Ford said they can't help. There is no recall. I was stranded on the side of a busy road in traffic risking my safety for their defective product! This is highway robbery! (literally).
Where to start... Broken cruise control, headlight switch has a short, driver side passenger window doesn't roll down, trouble going into gear, car suddenly dies at interstate speeds, loud grinding sound from the engine bay (like an electric knife sharpener) that is getting increasingly more frequent, service engine soon light will not go off, brakes squeal and don't stop the vehicle properly, support for the hatch (which is cracked 8 inches or so in two places) doesn't lift hatch completely, and the fuel economy is down to 4-6 mpg in the city. I hate it! I don't feel like my girlfriend is safe driving it, and I think ford should be forced to make their wrongs into rights!
Driving on highway at 63 MPH and valve spring broke. Valve dropped into piston causing engine failure. Check engine code called for random engine misfire and code was triggered at around 2600 RPM. Prior to engine failure I have been experiencing a shudder when transmission shifts into overdrive. There is also a problem with the clutch pack in the limited slip differential that is causing a shudder when turning right or left from a dead stop. (dealership called it the parking lot shudder) I have a 02 ford explorer xlt with 4.6 and 4x4 that has bad engine, transmission, and rear differential. (engine replaced).
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving 25 MPH, the contact heard a howling sound coming from the engine compartment. He ignored the sound and did not take the vehicle to the dealer. The following day, while driving at low speeds, the vehicle would not shift into gear properly and hesitated. The day after that none of the gears would shift and the vehicle lost all torque power. The vehicle was towed to an auto shop and the mechanic stated that there was transmission failure. The failure and current mileages were 140,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a coolant leak in the intake manifold. There is an extended coverage program that was initiated in class action lawsuit number 05n04. The contact is currently experiencing the same failure mentioned within the lawsuit. Ford stated that the VIN was not included in the recall and the repair would cost $800. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 103,000. Updated 03/05/08.
2002 ford explorer 4.6 v8, approx. 78000 miles. While driving my spark plug (unknown number - second in on drivers side), blew out. Was able to replace it. No more then 30 minutes of driving same plug was spit out again. This time unable to replace it.
This is to add information to a previous complaint. Odi number 10207581. There was a sudden failure of the engine that resulted in sudden lockup of the engine, resulting in complete loss of power and control. This happened on a residential street at low speed. However a very busy intersection with high speed traffic had just been navigated. If the failure had happened at that intersection, the failure would have probably resulted in severe injuries or loss of life. The engine failure was sudden and without warning. By sudden, my wife described the noise as rattle, crunch, bang with everything locking up in less than 5 seconds. The engine was running perfectly up to the time of failure. The car began smoking from the exhaust immediately after the failure and my wife feared the vehicle was catching on fire. When the vehicle was towed, a large quantity (1 to 2 quarts)of engine coolant drained from the muffler. This indicates to me that a sudden failure of an internal engine seal, gasket, manifold, etc. If a part fails this suddenly, the part was either defective, improperly designed, or improperly assembled.
Sudden failure of the engine that resulted in sudden lockup of the engine, complete loss of power, and control. This happened on a residential street at low speed. However a very busy intersection with high speed traffic had just been navigated. If the failure had happened at that intersection, the failure would probably have resulted in severe injuries or loss of life. The engine failure was sudden without warning and the engine was running perfectly up until the time of failure. The car started smoking from the exhaust system immediately after failure.
Car fire - 2002 ford explorer limited
My 2002 ford explorer had a failed tube mounted "differential pressue feedback from egr" (dpfe) sensor after 30k miles. Ford created a technical service bulletin (tsb) regarding this know issue affecting several 2000-2003 ford models including the 2002 explorer (see ford tsb 04-11-1 may 25, 2004 ). However, when ford turned this issue of the faulty dpfe sensor into a recall, or "field service action" (fsa) as they call it, they did not include the 2002 ford explorer in the dpfe recall. All vehicles included in fsa 02m01 were given an extended 2yr/24k mile warranty on the dpfe sensor. The 2002 explorer was not included in this extended warranty despite the fact that the 2002 explorer was included in the original tsb on this issue and the fact that the 2002 explorer was know to use the same tube mounted differential pressure sensor as all the vehicles included in the recall. See fsa 02m01
I own a 2002 ford explorer and have had a ongoing problem with check lights coming on. First it was a check engine light which read that vehicle needed new catalytic converter .then couple yrs later came on again this time for a sensor. Now I have a airbag light on it seems like one sensor after another. After reading very simmiler complaints on your site and others I think this should be looked at further. No exact events lead to the problem. All problems have been fixed except airbag light which just happend this week.
There is ford tsb 02m01 and ntsb 10007207 for replacement of the egr sensor on 2002 ford explorers. The explorer needed that sensor replaced, but the warranty claim was denied although my vehicle fell within age and mileage guidlines. I would like ford to compensate me for the cost of the repair.
Egr sensor failure obd2 code p0401.
Events leading up to the failure: backing out of a parking space failure and consequences: ford acknowledges issues internally with the timing cartridges on the 2002 e code 4.0l v6 sohc engine through several tsb's, however does not notify the public that this issue exists. I found out about the issue after apparently blowing the entire engine on my 2006 ford explorer. Now, instead of having a repair done at the dealership that could cost a little, I have to spend a lot of money to have it fixed. I am greatly thankful that this happened as I was backing out of a parking space and not at highway speeds. Apparently, ford used several plastic guide way parts to tension the chain, and these parts fail easily because they are oil starved at engine startup. Because they are plastic, they can fatigue and break at any time, causing severe valve and piston damage, and leaving the operator of the car with no control of the automobile because of loss of vacuum for breaks, and automatic steering. Correction of failure: ford refuses to pay anything to help repair or replace parts even with known issues.
Engine develop rough idle. Sudden explosion sound revealed that number three spark plug was discharged from threads. Dealer claimed zero responsibility yet admitted that it is a common problem with 4.6 and 5.4 liter engines. Self repair with insert to repair damaged threads caused by exploding spark plug.
I was only about 1 mile from home, the vehicle had no previous problems, I heard a strange sound then the vehicle was not running properly, I could smell fuel or some sort of odor, as I attempted to pull the vehicle over, there was no brakes or steering, I also could see smoke coming from the engine, I managed to get the vehicle over to the side of the road. The vehicle was also starting to fill with smoke inside very quickly. I was able to get out of the car. It would not engage in park, and rolled while I was trying to exit. I called 911, but the vehicle was already entirely engulfed in flames.
In january, 2006, my car stopped dead on the highway. After it was towed to the dealership, we were told that a valve had broken and had been sucked into the engine, causing engine failure. Our only alternative was to have the engine replaced - which we did for over $5000.00. The following january, (2007), after the first measurable snow fall of the year (since our engine had been replaced), the car went into a huge fishtail skid on a snowy road and after the first skid, was caught by the cable guard rail on the side of the road - causing another $5000.00+ repair. When brought to the dealership after the accident, we were told that the 4 wheel drive electronic monitor had failed and we had no 4 wheel drive. My concern - besides the cost and inconvenience and scare of the accident is that there were no warning lights to let me know that the car's 4 wheel drive had failed. I had gotten into the car assuming that the 4 wheel drive was working (as the car goes into 4 wheel drive automatically and there are no indicator lights normally to let you know that the 4 wheel drive is working). With no indicator lights that the 4 wheel drive is working and no indicator lights that it is not working, ford put me in a very unsafe situation. Had the cable guard rail not been there to catch the car, we would have gone over the embankment and been more seriously injured.
I have two or three issues; the first one is my timing chain tensioner broke and came up through the head gasket cover. It was brought to my attention that ford has had this problem with many of it's 2002 ford explorers. I am just returning from iraq (air force) I have just had it towed to the repair shop it has not be fixed. I have transmission problems for about 2 years were it jumps into gear and I have a whining noise coming from the rear end. I spoke with ganley ford in barbeton and they tell me that there are no recalls however, a lot of customers complain.
Dt*: the contact stated while accelerating, the vehicle vibrated and a noise was heard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer four times where the transmission converter was replaced twice, however the problem recurred. Also, while the contact was changing the oil it was noticed a wire from the battery was bare. The consumer stated the transmission is still not shifting properly and during acceleration, the vehicle still vibrates. Upon inspection the 02 sensor was found damaged. The sensor was covered in glue and wrapped around to the transmission mount. Updated 12/01/06.
Ongoing shifting and slipping within the transmission. Also a loud shrill at the end of the acceleration. The transmission converter has been replaced multiple times and the transmission leaked out fluid at highway speed. After the repair of a stripped transmission line connector and a pile of glue to fix a broken electrical connector the vehicle was returned to service by the dealership and the warranty company. The converters are "remanufactured" which have been known to fail. The glob of glue on the electrical connector will be reviewed by the state as to the proper repair procedure. A law suit may follow due to separate repairs including a tire with a nail, where a new tire was purchased and a used on was installed (bf goodrich). The tire was also not balanced and was off by 1.5 oz. There was also a gasket removed from the cooling system that caused antifreeze to spill out onto the engine. The cooling system had been serviced two months prior and was never leaking until the day the vehicle was returned. There was also the discovery of the positive electrical harness to the starter having exposed wires due to the oil filter drain housing made of plastic rubbing against the wires. There are three wires exposed and there may be the potential for fire.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, a burning odor was smelled coming from the A/C vents in the rear of the vehicle. When the vehicle was stopped, the rear vent was hot to the touch and a burning odor was evident. The service dealer and manufacturer had not been notified.*ak updated 10/30/2006 -
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle has intermittently stalled possibly due to outdoor heat. The vehicle stalled or would not start on nine different occasions. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer after each incident where the inertia switch, the fuel pump and the PCM module were changed. This problem occurred eight times while the vehicle stopped, while it was started, at an intersection, and once with the vehicle in motion at 35 MPH. The contact also stated the gas storage tank had developed a hole and was leaking gas.
At a complete stop vehicle surges (accelerates). Have to place in neutral at standing stops to prevent an accident. Driver's side power window switch failed, had replaced, also the window whines when rolling up. Passenger's side power window regulator(cable) snapped?? When rear windows are down at a speed of 20 MPH+ it sounds like a helicopter is in the back seat(actually physically hurts your ears!!!) auto and auto>high. Can not pin point problem. That about wraps up my lovely experience with this vehicle. I am a married father of two and the only one working on a limited income. I bought this truck with very low miles thinking it would be dependable not unaffordable.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was a sensation of running over something. The vehicle then stalled completely. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer determined that due to the engine locking up, the entire engine needed to be replaced.
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